Retail assistant Review

My role was retail sales assistant and my day to day jobs were checking how much stock we had, Re-stocking inventory, general cleaning, assisting customers, ensuring all stock was in date and undamaged, assisting coworkers, assisting perfume sales, answering customers' questions about stock and advising the customers in which items could benefit them.

I developed my communication skills and learned new customer service skills, the work experience assisted me in time management by making me ensure all of my tasks were finished in allotted times. I also developed my team work and problem solving skills to allow me to fulfil my role as efficiently as possible.

I enjoyed my programme a lot as I gained many new skills, had a fun time working as I enjoyed my tasks and feel I gained a helpful insight into the working world and what it entails. I did have slight issues with the staff at my specific locations passing off their duties onto me however.

At my time working at Superdrug I did not feel appreciated at all, the staff at my store were rude to me, did not help when I asked for their assistance and often made me fulfil their duties instead of doing them themselves. I found I was often the only one working at times.

On my first day I was shown a quick a video, this video was my training. I feel the structure of my training was poor, the entire placement however had some structure, although I didn't progress in my tasks throughout the placement and was just given all of my tasks on day one.

My training provider was Superdrug, I received little to no support from the staff there. I received little training and when I asked questions I was not provided with assistance. The staff often passed off their duties to me and did not work themselves, when I asked for help in my tasks I was not given it.

I was left to my own devices to find a placement for myself, after I began my placement I did not hear from my High School to check in until the end of my placement when I returned to school. I felt I had no support from my school during my placement.

As my placement was part of work experience i received no pay, my placement was compulsory through y high school and therefore i did not expect to receive pay. Therefore the salary I received met my expectations as the work i did was free as part of my course descriptions.

No there were little opportunities to advance after my placement. I was praised for my work at the store and so applied for a job at the store after my placement but was informed there were no vacancies, the store said they would contact me if any vacancies opened up and was never contacted.

Yes

The store had reasonable work hours, a safe environment for me to work and the roles I carried out were not to straining, however, although I was given an instructional video to train me I still felt undertrained and was greeted with a lack of support from the staff when I asked for help.

Wear comfortable shoes, the floors at the store I worked in were uneven and uncomfortable. I often went home with extreme agony in my feet. I would also recommend going to a larger store, a store in a big town may have more things to do and there may be more training.